RM300 “gift” mystery unsolved

ON 16 Jan 2009, during the Kuala Terengganu (KT) by-election, more than a dozen journalists were asked to list their names, organisations, and telephone numbers on a blank piece of paper. The request was made by a staff member at the KT by-election media centre. At around 3.50pm on the same day, each of the journalists was given a white envelope containing six RM50 notes.

A number of journalists later returned the envelopes to the media centre staff. Two journalists from Chinese-language online news portal Merdeka Review immediately lodged a police report at the Terengganu police headquarters. In their police reports, they provided the name of the media centre staff who distributed the white envelope. They were later informed that the case would be referred to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for investigation.

After this incident, I submitted a question to Parliament, seeking an answer from either the prime minister or information minister. My question was worded thus:

Puan Teo Nie Ching [Serdang] minta Perdana Menteri menyatakan atas arahan siapa pegawai bertugas memberi sampul surat yang mengandungi RM300 kepada wartawan-wartawan di pusat media Kuala Terengganu pada 16 Januari 2009 dan apakah tindakan/siasatan yang telah ataupun akan diambil ke atas insiden ini.

I had requested for my question to be answered on 17 Feb 2009. However, I was informed by the secretary of the Dewan Rakyat that my question was rejected on grounds that it violated Rule 23(1)(c) of the Standing Orders:

A question shall not contain any argument, interference, opinion, epithet or misleading, ironical or offensive expression nor shall a question be frivolous or be asked seeking information on trivial matters.

Until now I still can't figure out how or why my question breached Rule 23(1)(c) of the Standing Orders. Does my question contain any argument, interference, opinion or epithet? Or is this a frivolous or trivial matter? Or perhaps, the minister simply found my question too offensive to answer.

The information minister through his press secretary Hisham Abdul Hamid has denied making any payment to journalists covering the by-election. He claims the ministry had never directed any of its officers to do such a thing.

Where did the money come from?

However, when questioned about the source of the money, the media centre staff could not offer any answers. Why? Did the envelopes just fall down from a tree like durians? Did the staff suddenly decide to play Santa Claus after waking up that fine morning?

"Envelope" journalism

Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek boasted in Oct 2008 that Malaysia did not practise "envelope" journalism — a norm in certain developing countries where journalists are paid to highlight certain stories. In less than three months, Shabery was proved wrong in the KT by-election media centre.

It is easy to still preserve the accuracy of his statement and to clear the name of the ministry. What he needs to do is simply take the initiative to investigate the matter and tell us who instructed the staff to offer the envelopes to the journalists.

It is equally important for him to prove that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is all out to fight corruption and that the prime minister is not the only person apparently concerned about this. The information minister should immediately sack the media centre staff and the individual(s) who instructed the staff to give out the envelopes. Sadly, none of this has been done.

It is also sad that the MACC on 20 Jan 2009 decided not to investigate the case because it said the reporters could not identify the media centre staff.

What is so difficult about identifying the staff member implicated?

This is such a lame excuse. The reporters from Merdeka Review had provided the name of the staff. Furthermore, there were more than a dozen journalists in the media centre that day. What is so difficult about identifying the staff?

Did the MACC call the rest of the journalists and investigate to the best of its ability before concluding that the culprit could not be identified? There is a suspicious lack of initiative on the part of the MACC to respond to what was clearly an attempt to bribe journalists covering the by-election. This is totally unacceptable.

People are smarter

Voters in KT were apparently not influenced by these dirty tricks and the Pakatan Rakyat won the by-election with a 2,631-vote majority. This does not prove that there were no attempts to bribe voters and journalists in KT. It just shows that people are cleverer these days and bribes like the one attempted in the by-election media centre were not successful.

The approaches adopted by the information ministry and MACC make a mockery of the so-called reforms towards a corrupt-free society belatedly announced by the prime minister. It further shows that the BN government is only paying lip service to the principle of honesty and the battle to fight corruption.

Even though the KT by-election is now over, it is important to ensure that real actions are taken against the dirty trick that occurred in the media centre. To demonstrate zero tolerance towards corruption, the information minister should assure the public that serious action will be taken against the media centre staff. Additionally, he should guarantee that such an incident will not repeat during the upcoming by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai.

Without this assurance, the battle against corruption will ring hollow and false

Teo Nie Ching is DAP Member of Parliament for Serdang.

Guan Eng akan saman Utusan, Shabudin

KUALA LUMPUR: Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng hari ini menafikan bahawa kerajaan negeri itu sudah menubuhkan Majlis Perundingan Antara Agama dan menyifatkannya sebagai satu fitnah terhadap kerajaan negeri.

Berang dengan laporan muka depan Utusan Malaysia mengenai perkara itu, Lim yang juga Ahli Parlimen Bagan bercadang untuk menyaman Utusan Malaysia dan Yang Dipertua Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Pulau Pinang (Mainpp), Shabudin Yahya.

"Kerajaan Negeri Pulau Pinang tidak pernah menubuhkan Majlis Perundingan Antara Agama sepertimana yang disebut YDP (Mainpp) Shabudin.

"Saya tidak tahu beliau dapat (dari) sumber mana menyatakan kita ada menubuhkan majlis perundingan ini.

"Saya akan mengarahkan peguam saya untuk menyaman Utusan Malaysia dan Shabudin. Saya rasa semua ini sudah lebih dan tidak boleh diterima.

"Kita akan jumpa di mahkamah. Saya akan minta Utusan (Malaysia) dan Shabudin jawab dan bayar pampasan serta ganti rugi sewajarnya dan juga meminta maaf secara umum.

"Walaupun ada tanda soal (pada tajuk berita), di bawah undang-undang ini pun dianggap sebagai fitnah kerana tidak ada Majlis Perundingan Antara Agama (ditubuhkan). Kalau ada bukti, kita jumpa di mahkamah.

"Saya yang mempengerusikan mesyuarat Exco, saya tahu apa yang berlaku dalam kerajaan negeri," katanya pada sidang akhbar di lobi Parlimen di sini, hari ini.

Dalam laporan itu, Shabudin mendakwa bahawa majlis itu ditubuhkan tahun lalu apabila pakatan pembangkang yang diterajui oleh Lim mengambil alih pemerintahan Pulau Pinang dan dilihat sebagai satu cubaan menghina Islam dengan meletakkan Islam sama taraf dengan agama lain dan ia mesti dihentikan.

Lim berkata, saman terhadap Utusan Malaysia dan Shabudin akan dibuat atas kapasitinya sebagai Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang dan juga Setiausaha Agung DAP.

"Saya tahu mereka akan menggunakan isu ini untuk pilihan raya kecil yang akan datang dan kita tidak akan membenarkan mereka menabur fitnah dan tohmahan yang menjijikkan seperti ini," katanya.

Di BUKIT MERTAJAM, Shabudin menjelaskan bahawa kenyataannya berhubung Majlis Perundingan Antara Agama adalah berdasarkan kepada laporan yang disiarkan di dalam akhbar sebelum ini.

Katanya, beliau mempunyai bukti untuk menyokong kenyataannya semalam yang meminta penubuhan majlis itu dihentikan kerana ia meletakkan Islam setaraf agama lain. - Bernama

尼查：警嚴守議會廳

獨家報導：丘惠萍

（怡保19日訊）民聯原任霹靂州務大臣拿督斯里莫哈末尼查指出，議長西華古瑪可在州議會召開前，要求警方在州議會召開期間，駐守霹靂州政府大廈，嚴禁“被禁足入士”進入州議會。

“同時，可透過警方執法的權限，維護法治秩序與安寧，最重要是確保州議會順利召開。”

開會法定人數足夠

尼查今日接受《中國報》訪問時，受詢及假如國陣州務大臣拿督斯里贊比里博士等人違逆議長的決定，堅持出席州議會，民聯將採取什么應對策略及行動時，如是回應。

他說，大馬是民主制度的國家，贊比里當然可以採取法律行動否決議長的決定，這絕對符合民主及個人意願，可是憲法至上，沒有任何個人或政治議程，可以超越司法程序。

他強調，既然聯邦憲法與州憲法有闡明議長權限，迄今西華古瑪還是合法議長，他的決定是受到法律承認，必須絕對遵從。

尼查聲明，盡管國陣7人及3名獨立議員被禁足州議會，但州議會的開會法定人數仍足夠。

禁3議員出席州議會

霹州共有59州席，一旦國陣大臣及6名行政議員和3名“已辭職”的獨立議員被禁足州議會，在來臨的州議會，霹靂州民聯仍有27席（不包括議長，因沒投票權）、國陣21席（扣除7名被禁足者），48席的數目，超出了三分之二的法定人數要求（40席）。

倪可漢：州選舉解亂局

（怡保19日訊）民主行動黨霹靂州主席拿督倪可漢，要求馬上舉行閃電大選，以便解決霹靂州目前所面對的政權危機。

他說，聯邦憲法和州憲法賦予議長和州議會特權委員會權力，以執行任務，因此，議長及特權委員會的決定，必須受尊重。

倪可漢今日向本報發表其看法時，如是強調。

應俯順民意閃電大選

“此次且讓我們看看憲法如何有保障，即不讓國陣非法奪取執政權。”

他認為，在面對全球經濟風暴侵襲時，若霹靂州政權問題不盡速解決，將造成更多負面的影響，這足以對州與人民不利。

倪可漢說，首相或任何人不應該“利用”蘇丹實現政治議程與目的，國陣不應該將霹靂州蘇丹及王室拖下水，導致霹靂政治動蕩不安，陷入危機。

他認為，霹靂州王室、最高統治者是團結人民的象徵，超越政治，因此國陣必須尊重聯邦憲法和州憲法，尊重民主制度。

他說，國陣自稱奉行民主為治國原則，唯今怎么不能俯順民意，如通過舉行閃電大選，尋求人民委托？

Elizabeth Wong Tetap Mahu Letak Jawatan

Elizabeth Wong menyatakan pendirian tidak berganjak daripada keputusannya untuk melepaskan kedua-dua jawatan Exco Kerajaan Negeri dan Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Bukit Lanjan.

Kenyataan terbarunya, merupakan yang ketiga dalam tempoh empat hari, dikeluarkan selepas semalam Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim mengatakan bahawa isu itu akan diselesaikan selepas Wong bercuti selama sebulan dan akan menghadap Sultan Selangor Rabu depan.

"Saya telah memaklumkan pemimpin-pemimpin parti saya bahawa saya bertekad untuk melepaskan kesemua jawatan saya."

"Saya sudah ke luar negara hari ini,"kata Wong, 37, ADUN penggal pertama dan juga Ketua Penerangan Wanita PKR.

Pada sidang media kelmarin, Wong mengumumkan bahawa beliau berhasrat untuk melepaskan kedua-dua jawatan itu ekoran pendedahan gambar atau video beliau dalam keadaan separuh bogel yang kini disebarkan menerusi internet dan MMS.

Wong quits with tears

Selangor executive councillor and Bukit Lanjan assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong broke down in tears as she announced her resignation from both posts today following the circulation of her nude photographs.

“I have received overwhelming support from family and my constituents but in the interest of my party, I have decided to offer my resignation as exco member and State Assemblyman for Bukit Lanjan,” she said while trying to contained her tears.

She said the event of the last two days have shown an insidious and underhanded attempt by certain quarters to smear her reputation.

“My personal life and privacy has been violated.”

However, Wong who was speaking at the PKR Headquarters in Tropicana here said that while the smear campaign was directed towards her, she was aware that the real objective was to discredit her party.

“I wish to state that I am not ashamed of my sexuality as a woman and as a single person. I have broken no law. I stand by the fundamental principle in a democracy that everyone has a right to privacy”

She said PKR stands for “New Politics” that holds justice and human rights as core values which transcends gender, ethnicity and class.

“New politics also means we rise above gutter politics.” she said

Wong said she believed the attacks will continue with greater intensity and did not have any doubt that UMNO and Barisan Nasional (BN) will continue to manipulate the situation.

Wong said she will arrange a proper handover of her responsibilities to Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim whom she thanked for his unwavering support.

Dozens of her supporters who attended the press conference carried banners, cards and flowers, urging her to reconsider.

Her fellow executive council members Teresa Kok and Xavier Jeyakumar also called on her not to resign during the press conference.

Kok said each council member has had to face this sort of personal attacks and this was Wong’s turn. “This can happen to anyone of us.”

PKR vice-president Sivarasa Rasiah said the move to discredit Wong was politically motivated and called on Malaysians to reject what he described as gutter politics.

He said he hopes the police will bring the culprits to task.

PKR Wanita chief Zuraidah Kamaruddin said the party will not let the matter rest and will pursue the culprits.

Meanwhile party sources told The Malaysian Insider that Wong fate is still being decided by the party leadership, who are considering whether to accept her resignation.

The human rights activist and environmentalist will be the third politician in recent history to quit posts due to such photographs or video. The first was then deputy speaker of parliament D.P. Vijandran in 1989 who quit after pornographic tapes featuring him surfaced. Last year, Health Minister Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek resigned on New Year’s Day under similar circumstances.

If her resignation is accepted, it will lead to a by-election in Bukit Lanjan.

The Election Commission has already fixed April 7 for by-elections in the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat in Perak and Bukit Selambau state seat in Kedah. The nomination day for both is March 29.



（八打靈再也17日訊）疑睡覺時被偷拍裸照和短片的黃潔冰，今日宣佈辭去武吉蘭樟州議員兼雪州行政議員職。

她于今早11時許，在人民公正黨總部召開記者會，如此宣佈。

公正黨領導層，包括該黨實權領袖拿督斯里安華和雪州州務大臣丹斯里卡立，目前正召開緊急會議，討論是否接受黃潔冰辭職，預料該黨今午會針對此事作出宣佈。

這也意味，繼霹靂州武吉干當國會議席，以及吉打州武吉士南卯州議席之後，雪蘭莪州的武吉蘭樟州議席也或將舉行補選，成為自去年308大選之後的第5場補選。

據了解，黃潔冰昨晚經過與公正黨高層領袖，包括拿督斯里安華的長談後，毅然決定採取“犧牲小我、顧全大局”的做法。

黃潔冰也希望，她的辭職有助結束這一波或許會大大影響民聯形象，以及雪州民聯州政府的政治風暴。

據悉，此舉也旨在避免裸照風波在霹州和吉州的兩場補選中，被政敵利用來炒作，影響民聯的勝算。

據悉，民聯內部一些領袖擔心，含有不良動機者或會繼續流傳更多關于黃潔冰的裸照甚至性愛短片。

他們認為，若風波進一步擴大，除了再次抹黑黃潔冰的個人形象外，也可能造成民聯三黨之間針對議員私德問題產生不必要的爭議，使到風暴難以收拾。

Zambry should cut the Gordian knot of the Perak political crisis

dissolve State Assembly or go down in history as the infamous “illegitimate Perak MB” and dragging with him Najib

Datuk Zambry Abdul Kadir should cut the Gordian knot of the Perak political crisis by agreeing to the dissolution of the Perak State Assembly or he will go down in history as the infamous “illegitimate Perak Mentri Besar” and dragging with him Najib Razak.

If Zambry is a democrat and believes that he has the mandate from the voters of Perak to be Mentri Besar, he should not have any qualm in opting for the only decent, honest and honiourable solution to the political crisis – dissolution of the Perak State Assembly to return the mandate to the Perak voters to elect the Mentri Besar and government of their choice.

Zambry should know better than anyone that the illegal and unconstitutional power grab orchestrated by the Prime Minister-in-waiting, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, is a great disservice to the cause of the healthy growth of parliamentary democracy in the country.

This is because Zambry should have realized by now that he has no credibility and legitimacy whatsoever as the Perak Mentri Besar among the people of Perak and Malaysia – which explains why he had such a short fuse in his first media conference as the illegitimate Mentri Besar of Perak on Tuesday.

Najib might have thought that with the toppling of the Pakatan Rakyat state government and the undemocratic power grab in Perak, he has achieved a great coup which will redound to his credit in the UMNO general assembly next month when he is formally anointed Umno President and the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

But he cannot be more wrong. Times have changed. Najib’s calculations might be right if such an undemocratic coup d’etat had been orchestrated in the past half-century, but in the era of the information age, where the people are not only exposed to more information but have higher expectations about accountability, transparency, rule of law, democracy and good governance, the illegal and unconstitutional power grab like the one orchestrated by Najib in Perak is completely unacceptable.

Najib is going to pay a very heavy price as he would be forfeiting the privileges of his First Hundred Days when he takes over as the sixth Prime Minister of Malaysia, for his every word and action as the new Prime Minister will come under the dark cloud because of his undemocratic, illegal and unconstitutional coup d’etat in Perak.

The recent opinion poll by Merdeka Centre that 74% of Perak voters felt that the state assembly should be dissolved to pave way for elections while 76% of voters felt that “the people, through elections” should decide on forming the Perak state government sends out clear and unmistakable messages of the people.

The choice is in the hands of Zambry, whether he wants to go down in history as the infamous “illegitimate Perak Mentri Besar” dragging Najib along with him or whether he is prepared to subordinate personal interests to the higher interests of Perak and democracy by agreeing to the dissolution of the Perak State Assembly to end the political crisis in Perak, which will also release Najib from the millstone of the illegal and unconstitutional power grab in Perak.

Lim Kit Siang

占比里：尊重州宪法 不撤换现任霹州议长

(八打灵再也14日讯) 霹雳州务大臣拿督占比里表明，他了解州议长在州宪法里的权限，不过，如果州议会召开时议长有“特别情况”，国阵将已准备好的策略应对。

在目前的情况，他会尊重州宪法，不会要求撤换现任州议长西华古玛。

他今日向《南洋商报》指出，他知道州宪法下，州议长被州议会受委后是不能被革职的，所以他会保留现有的议长。

占比里说，他目前也不会因为州议长问题而解散州议会。

“至于州议长要行使权力，禁止有关的3名州议员踏入州议会，我希望他以无党派的身分主持州议会，让他们进入议会。”

他说，若州议长以民联的身分主持州议会，并“干扰”国阵州议员，这对州议员是不公平的。

占比里表示已预料州议长西华古玛在州议会召开时会有所“举动”，他表明会见机行事。

询及州议会几时会召开，占比里指出，州议会可以在6个月的时间内召开，因此日期尚未确定。


Speaker DUN Perak Masih Dalam Tangan Pakatan Rakyat

Sesuatu yang pelik, tapi benar ! Speaker DUN Perak masih dalam tangan Pakatan Rakyat, sebab itu kerajaan minoriti Barisan Nasional (BN) yang dipimpin oleh Menteri Besar palsu, belum melantik Speaker.

Bukan kerana tidak mempunyai calon, atau Dr. Zambry tidak faham, tetapi tiada peruntukan dalam undang-undang tubuh negeri Perak untuk melantik Speaker !

“Oleh itu, Speaker DUN Perak kekal dengan ADUN Tronoh, V. Sivakumardari parti DAP,” kata Speaker DUN Selangor Teng Chang Kim dalam satu kenyataannya di Ipoh, kelmarin

Menurut Teng Chang Kim yang juga seorang peguam, tidak ada peruntukan juga yang boleh memecat Speaker DUN Perak dengan undi tidak percaya.

Beliau berkata DUN Selangor dan Perlembagaan mempunyai peruntukan Speaker pada bila-bila masa akan mengosongkan pejabatnya sekiranya DUN atau Parlimen memutuskan, namun negeri Perak tidak ada peruntukan tersebut.
Adun Sungai Pinang, Selangor itu juga menyatakan Speaker DUN Perak hanya kosong apabila dia meletakkan jawatan sebagai ADUN Perak atau beliau didapati tidak layak, atau beliau sendiri meletakkan jawatan sebagai Speaker dengan kerelaannya.

Oleh yang demikian krisis perlembagaan di negeri Perak akan berterusan !

Justeru dengan kuasa yang masih diperuntukkan itu, kata Teng, Dr Zambry tidak mempunyai pilihan kecuali terus mengekalkan V. Sivakumar sebagai Speaker.

Dengan keadaan itu, apabila Sidang DUN Perak dipanggil kelak, Sivakumar juga mempunyai kuasa untuk mengharamkan ‘para pengkhianat’ dari Pakatan Rakyat menghadirkan diri ke Sidang DUN.

Ia adalah kerana mereka telah meletakkan jawatan sebelum ini, dan Osman Jailu, Jamaludin Mad Radzi dan Hee Yit Foong perlu membawa kes tersebut ke mahkamah bagi mendapat keputusan samada mereka masih menjadi ADUN ataupun sebaliknya.

Teng juga berkata, sekiranya atas apa jua sebab dan keadaan, Sivakumar mengosongkan pejabatnya, maka DUN Perak akan menjadi sebuah DUN yang tergantung kerana undang-undang tubuh kerajaan Perak memperuntukkan DUN tidak boleh menjalankan apa-apa aktiviti, sekiranya Speaker mengosongkan pejabatnya.

Justeru, menurut Teng, Dr. Zambry tidak mempunyai pilihan lain, kecuali memohon kepada Sultan Perak supaya DUN Perak di bubarkan.

Namun, beranikan BN Perak berbuat demikian dalam keadaan sekarang !

Buletinonline

Derhaka, flunkies and UMNO thuggery

First we have a democratically elected Pakatan Rakyat government ousted in a well-executed coup. The shameless tactic was engineered by deputy prime minister Najib Tun Razak to shore up his image as an adept politician ahead of a power transition next month at the ruling UMNO internal elections.

Then we have an overzealous politician, Khairy Jamaluddin, calling for Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin's citizenship to be stripped. His rallying cry came at a demonstration attended by mostly UMNO members.

News reports say that Khairy worked the crowd to such frenzy that they were united in their view of killing any person who had committed treason. Mohammad Nizar was not just betrayed by elected representatives who were encouraged by UMNO to switch loyalties. He is now also branded a traitor.

Khairy incited the crowd and perpetrated hatred. The police, on the other hand, stood watch while protesters burnt posters of Mohammad Nizar. The aspiring politician must be frantic to score brownie points with UMNO members to burnish his image as party loyalist. After all he is gunning for the top UMNO youth post.

Pakatan leaders and specifically Mohammad Nizar were accused of inciting the people who had turned up at Kuala Kangsar to protest against the swearing in of Zambry Abdul Kadir. But there is not a whimper from UMNO and Barisan Nasional about Khairy's blatant attempt to create further chaos in Perak.

DAP Chairman and prominent lawyer, Karpal Singh, has also fallen prey to UMNO's political thuggery. It is his democratic right as a citizen to file a legal suit against the Ruler. But branding Karpal and Mohammad Nizar as traitors clearly shows that UMNO is trying to use the monarchy as a political tool.

Before the dust on the defection game could settle, we are faced with the resignation of another opposition leader, V Arumugam. He claims to have been threatened and offered RM5 million to join Barisan Nasional. We are also hearing similar allegations from other opposition representatives in Perak.

The Malaysian public are seething with anger over the unconstitutional takeover of Perak. Reports of dirty strategies by UMNO and the Barisan Nasional coalition government would only serve to further annoy the people.

Therefore, the MACC and police should act immediately and independently on the reports lodged by Arumugam, claiming he has been under the gun from UMNO and Barisan Nasional. The findings of these investigations must be made public as the people have a right to know if ruling politicians are using dubious means to compel elected representatives to cross over.

What can I say about Khairy? It is redundant to urge UMNO leaders to warn Khairy to zip up. They themselves brandish the sword and sneak in racist remarks to create fear among the public.

But such foolish calls should stop. Or they would create further political and inadvertently economic instability in the country.

Press Statement by Charles Santiago in Klang on Wednesday, 10th February 2009

蔡添强：国阵会续威迫利诱 议员仍会跳槽难阻止

（吉隆坡11日讯）人民公正党全国宣传主任蔡添强今日以毛泽东领导人曾说过的“天要下雨，娘要嫁人，由他去”名言，来形容可能会继续有议员因国阵的威迫利诱跳槽或退党的情况。

“毛泽东说的：‘天要下雨，娘要嫁人’，人家要走，我们也是没有办法。你不能24小时看管别人，我们所能做的是，就是与民联国州议员保持密切联系。”

手段非常人能承受

不过，他相信国阵会继续威迫利诱，造成民联议员退党或跳槽的情况会延续下去。

“这是理念的考验，而且这可能并无关议员的素质和意志，因为国阵对民联议员所展开的施压和利诱手段，并非一般人所能承受的。”

蔡添强今日在一项记者会上，针对民联议员退党和跳槽风是否会漫延至其他州属，受记者询问时，这么说。

他举例，武吉士南卯州议员阿鲁姆甘原则上只面对个人私事，但是他的家人等陆续受干扰及骚扰后，最终承受不了压力，决定呈辞。

“他有告诉党所面对的问题（受到干扰），他不表明不知还可以支撑多久。他过后因为妻子，孩子等受到干扰，而决定辞职。他目前正度假，并会选择平静一段时间。”

他强调，民联不会轻易就范，任由国阵利用金钱和政治等压力破坏民联。

嘉瑪魯丁及奧斯曼涉貪案 2人抱病缺庭1接逮捕令

（怡保10日訊）兩名支持國陣的獨立州議員嘉瑪魯丁及奧斯曼，與另4人涉及的貪污和性賄賂案今日過堂；嘉瑪魯丁及奧斯曼聲稱抱病，無法出庭，法庭已向沒有呈交患病証明書的奧斯曼發出逮捕令。

由于本案承審推事陳慧玲（譯音）在今明兩天上課，訂于今日起展開三天審訊的本案，被展延到6月15日。

被控貪污及性賄賂罪名的是嘉瑪魯丁及奧斯曼（被控時是民聯的霹州行政議員）、前波打區州議員烏賽里、霹靂州發展機構技術人員羅斯蘭、前縣議員祖哈山及公眾法魯。

原本代表上述6人辯護的7人律師團，也于今天宣布退出嘉瑪魯丁及奧斯曼辯護工作，兩人的代表律師轉為阿都羅尼。

值得一提的是，嘉瑪魯丁的律師出示文件，證明其當事人身體抱恙，以致其擔保人莫哈末阿茲曼要求退出擔保時，不獲法庭批准。

奧斯曼是由妹妹諾麗莎通知法庭，他于昨晚因為心臟問題進入吉隆坡的醫院，但她卻無法提出任何醫生證明書，今日代班的推事莎米拉遂發出逮捕令。

較早前，缺庭的烏賽里也在今早9時30分，與奧斯曼一起被法庭發出逮捕令逮捕，過后前者及時趕到，遲到理由是以為嘉瑪魯丁及奧斯曼前往王宮，此案改于下午過堂，且他從波打趕來怡保途中，遇到3個路障及交通阻塞，才延遲出庭，后法官批准取消其逮捕令。

此案是今早在怡保第一推事庭過堂，推事是沙美拉，反貪污局副檢察司為莫哈末加沙魯丁。

傳法庭取消逮捕令

奧斯曼代表律師阿都羅尼聲稱，隨著他親自送上奧斯曼抱恙的醫院證明書，法庭已于今午2時30分取消奧斯曼的逮捕令！

阿都羅尼今午受詢及奧斯曼會否于今天前往法庭報到時披露，隨著奧斯曼所住醫院發出的醫院證明書，已交法庭，法庭方面取消了逮捕令。

不過，霹靂反貪污局在受詢時卻否認此事，並強調若要撤銷逮捕令，需要有反貪污局副檢察司在場。

心臟病房留醫
奧斯曼悄悄出院

（吉隆坡10日訊）因心力交瘁，而留在士拉央醫院接受觀察的前公正黨霹靂州議員奧斯曼今午躲過媒體耳目，悄悄出院，相信病情已無大礙。

院方較后也向記者證實，奧斯曼于中午12時15分，離開心臟病房出院。

《中國報》今日獨家報導，脫離公正黨的奧斯曼和嘉瑪魯丁昨日赴院檢查，結果前者被要求留院觀察后，大批記者今早便駐守在士拉央醫院，但不得其門而入。

記者觀察發現，院方沒因奧斯曼入院而有任何異狀，院方如常操作；警亭警員受詢時，也對奧路斯曼留院接受檢查一事，毫不知情。

待下午1時探訪時間，記者在病樓尋找奧斯曼的名字或蹤影不遂；下午3時30分，院方受詢時證實奧斯曼早已出院。

雖然院方沒透露奧斯曼的病情，但相信后者已無大礙。

另一方面，駐守醫院大門的記者，在這段期間沒發現奧斯曼出院，相信后者從后門或特別通道，悄悄離開。

SPR Will Decide On Friday

Shocked and hurt by Karpal’s statement - let the party resolve any differences internally

I am shocked and hurt by DAP National Chairman Sdr. Karpal Singh’s statement yesterday.

Malaysians are scandalized that instead of uniting Malaysians to face the worst global economic crisis for eighty years, the Prime Minister-in-waiting Datuk Seri Najib Razak had done the opposite – frittering away further public confidence in engendering greater national discord by engineering the Perak political crisis in the illegal and unconstitutional grab for power, resulting in the constitutional crisis of two Mentris Besar in Perak.

Perakians are outraged. Malaysians are outraged. The world looks on in disbelief at the political insensitivity and indifference of the Prime Minister-in-waiting on the imperative to restore public confidence at this critical stage of the nation by giving top priority to uniting Malaysians, by actively creating not only a Perak but national political crisis.

The national economic crisis and the latest political crisis caused by Najib’s coup de’tat must be the topmost concern for all Malaysians.

Let the DAP resolve any differences internally as they should not be allowed to deflect efforts to resolve both the grave economic and political crisis confronting Malaysians.

Lim Kit Siang

DAP reaffirms support for PR to establish an alternative government

(Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP for Bagan, Lim Guan Eng, In Petaling Jaya On 9.2.2009)

DAP’s commitment towards a multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural Malaysia is not only an article of faith but a deep conviction in Bangsa Malaysia. DAP is inclusive of all races and religions. We represent the interests and fight for the rights every Malaysian.

In the effort of being representative of all Malaysians, including both Malays and non-Malays, the party is willing to undertake a transformational process that may be painful but necessary. We have no alternative but to grow without compromising our basic principles.

DAP reaffirms support for Pakatan Rakyat(PR) to establish an alternative government that is democratic, people-centric and with an ethical leadership based on the 5 principles of freedom, justice, truth, social welfare and universal moral values. In this regard the DAP supports PKR de facto leader DSAI Anwar Ibrahim as the Parliamentary Opposition Leader and will remain so as no single leader has ever questioned this during internal meetings whether at the highest levels or otherwise.

The Pakatan Rakyat leadership has clearly endorsed a position that no individual party policy can be PR policy unless it is fully approved unanimously by all three parties. DAP’s position on hudud and Islamic state is crystal clear and regardless of whatever support for both hudud and the establishment of an Islamic State, whether from PAS or PKR, this will not be PR policy as long as DAP does not agree to it.

Similarly DAP’s leadership has been consistently urging the government to enact an anti-hopping law even before the Perak crisis, and we have expressed support of our 28 MPs. As BN does not have a 2/3 parliamentary majority, the support of DAP’s 28 MPs will be required to effect any constitutional amendment for such an anti-hopping law.

As a democratic party, DAP policies can be changed in accordance with the wishes of its members. However until today there has been no request to question or disturb the basic framework of co-operation between the 3 parties of DAP, PAS and PKR that make up PR.

As the party secretary-general, I am duty-bound to execute these policies. However should any member wishes to change them, they are required to use proper party channels to do so and not use the BN-controlled media. I appeal to Sdr Karpal Singh as Chair of the DAP to use internal party channels should he wish to change these policies or even criticise my leadership.

Protes Pemuda DAP DiHadapan Pejabat SUK Perak

BN Tidak Demokratik Guna Cara Samseng Dan Tidak Ikut Perlembagaan

DAP Terengganu menyifatkan tindakan pemimpin UMNO dan Barisan Nasional (BN) ‘merampas’ kerajaan Perak dengan cara mengugut serta membeli ADUN dari Pakatan Rakyat tidak demokratik.

Strategi UMNO/BN cuba mengganggu-gugat kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat di Perak berjaya hanya dengan taktik yang paling kotor.

UMNO/BN juga menggunakan wang rakyat untuk membeli ADUN yang menghadapi masalah peribadi.

Mereka sanggup lakukan apa sahaja untuk wujudkan suasana politik yang tidak stabil dalam kerajaan Perak

Suasana yang bercelaru di Perak adalah angkara khianat pemimpin UMNO/BN yang tamakkan kuasa.

DAP Terengganu rasa dukacita kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang dipilih secara sah oleh rakyat dalam Pilihan Raya Umum (PRU) ke-12 lalu kini cuba dirampas oleh Barisan Nasional.

Sebagai rakyat Malaysia kita rasa malu dengan sikap pemimpin UMNO/BN itu.

Mereka rakus dan tidak sabar dengan cara toleransi dan demokrasi menjatuhkan kerajaan Perak dengan cara ‘samseng’ dan tidak mengikut perlembagaan negara.

Kami menyokong usaha mewujudkan undang-undang yang boleh menghalang mana-mana wakil rakyat melompat parti.

Ng Chai Hing
Pengerusi DAP Terengganu

EC decision is unconstitutional: Kit Siang

PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has acted unconstitionally by refusing to recognise Perak state assembly speaker V. Sivakumar’s decision to hold by-elections on the Changkat Jering and Behrang state seats, said DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang.

“The Commission’s constitutional duty is to act on the Perak speaker’s official notification on the vacancy of the two state assembly seats and call for by-elections to be held in the next 60 days,” he said in a statement Tuesday.

He said the Commission had no jurisdiction to dispute the speaker’s decision.

“Any such legal challenge should come from (Behrang assemblyman) Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi and (Changkat Jering assemblyman) Mohd Osman Mohd Jailu if they want to challenge the legality of their resignations from their respective state assembly seats,” he said.

The Election Commission decided on Tuesday that the two were still the assemblymen for the two seats.

Commission chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said here that the decision was made because both Jamaluddin and Mohd Osman had written a letter to Perak State Assembly Speaker V. Sivakumar claiming their resignations were not valid.

On Monday, Sivakumar had handed over the disputed letters of resignation purportedly from the two men to the state election director Adli Abdullah to seek by-elections for the two constituencies - The Star Online